1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to devices and methods for cleaning sailboat bolt line tracks.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Heretofore no implement has been available which is suitable for cleaning sailboat bolt line tracks. Such tracks are configured as grooves with overhanging edges in the structure of a sailboat mast, boom or headsail foil. A bolt line track entraps the bolt line of a sail therein to secure the sail to the track and to prevent the bolt line of the luff or foot of a sail from being pulled laterally out of the track. The bolt line of the sail can be removed from the bolt line track by moving the bolt line to an open end of the track near the deck and extracting it therefrom.
Bolt line tracks are used in a number of locations on a sailboat. Bolt line tracks may be used on the main mast, the boom, or on the mizzen mast. Bolt lines are also used in grooved stay systems, such as those which employ foils. Such grooved systems are to be found on the head stay, as well as the baby or jack stay. The breadth and depth of the bolt line track varies with the size of the yacht.
During use of a yacht various deposits builds up in the bolt line tracks. Salt, grease, dirt and other material enter the bolt line track and ultimately become heavy enough to interfere with longitudinal movement of the sail along the bolt line track. In the past bolt line tracks on sailboats have been cleaned inadequately and only with considerable difficulty using brushes and rags. Such cleaning articles are not suitable for cleaning a bolt line track, however, and simply do not extend into the bolt line track to sufficiently scour the interior surface thereof. In particular such cleaning fails to fully remove deposits on the undersides of the overhanging lips. This is quite unfortunate since material buildups in this area interact with the wrinkles present in the sail at the bolt line thereof as the sail luff or foot is drawn along the bolt line track. Because of the inadequate cleaning means currently available, maintenance in cleaning bolt line tracks has been both infrequent and relatively ineffective.